Blake calls cops community builders

Police commissioner Dr Kevin Blake has urged the men and women under his command to see themselves as more than crime-fighters.

Blake, writing in the police force orders, said cops should view themselves as civic builders, guardians of public order, and partners in national development. To underscore his point, the commissioner invoked a parable: three men breaking stones were asked what they were doing. One replied he was breaking stones; another said he was earning a living; the third said he was building a cathedral.

"We are not just simply breaking stones," Blake wrote, "we are building a cathedral."

The commissioner's column comes as he marks is first year at the helm of the JCF. Mentorship emerges as a defining theme in the commissioner's reflections. He said the JCF must constantly groom its future leaders.

"How do we cultivate the next generation of leaders within our ranks?" he asked, and then responded with clarity: "A great JCF leader displays behaviours that those who are led can emulate. We have to be mentors to our juniors, and are significant players in their development."

Blake reasoned that the future of the JCF cannot be left to chance. He said that it must be nurtured through intentional mentorship, observable conduct, and consistent support. "

Let us ensure that those who we lead today become the great leaders of tomorrow," he charged.